Gardaí are searching for a “white middle-aged male” in connection with the hijacking of a vehicle that had a five-month-old baby girl inside.
Speaking at a media briefing after the girl had been safely located, Superintendent Liam Geraghty said gardaí received the report of the silver Nissan Qashqai being stolen from Mountjoy Square West in Dublin at approximately 1.50pm.
The baby girl was in the rear of the vehicle when it was stolen.
Gardaí “immediately commenced searches in the north inner city” and emergency alerts were issued to all members on patrol.
A public alert for information was issued shortly after 3pm, followed by a formal child rescue Ireland (CRI) alert at 4pm. Shortly after the CRI, the car was recovered on North Richmond Street by gardaí on patrol.
Mr Geraghty said no person had been arrested by 5.30pm: “The suspect in this case is best described at this stage as a white, middle-aged male wearing dark clothing and a baseball cap.”
Mr Geraghty said she was missing from her parents for “just over two hours”.
He said it was a “obviously a very traumatic time” for the mother and father but added: “Thankfully, they were all reunited together shortly after 4pm.”
Asked by reporters if there was any connection between the suspect and the family, Mr Geraghty said: “To the best of our knowledge there’s no connection between the suspect and the family.”
He said gardaí currently believe that the incident appears to have been an opportunistic crime, pending further investigation.
